GM demos accident avoidance system with brains and long range

Collision avoidance systems aren't exactly exciting new news any more. But most of these systems, even the ones that jerk the wheel out of your hands, simply detect obstacles -- they don't talk to each other. GM's new prototype uses Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC) to share data with other vehicles. The cars not only detect other motorists, but construction zones, police activity, and slowed or stopped traffic. Unlike a similar concept from Ford, GM doesn't just talk to cars in the immediate area, but can detect trouble up to a quarter mile down the road, offering plenty of warning time for you to change course or hit those breaks. We think the company's estimate that such a system could avoid 81-percent of crashes in the US is a tad optimistic though -- clearly they don't realize how big of jerks most drivers are.